The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-12-22
HEROINE AND MARTYR.

HEROINE AND MARTYR
L.
The French army had lost the day
For the last three hours the soldier.
crossed the village of Chaille. The
retreat had commenced Cannon
| baggage, infantry, cavalry, all were
mixed together The officers tried nc
more to bring order and regularity
among their men, or to stop theil
disaster.
| Towards the evening the retreat had
become helter-skelter, the vanquished
decreased in number, a few cavalry
men and then-nothing.
Blu. in the last rays of the sun the
| people of the village saw a dozen OF
soldiers coming on the road. From
time to time they turned around and
fired shots at the enemy.
Far off, black spot, then two, then
| twenty, then a hundred, detached
| themselves on the line of tie majestic
| trees.
These black spots were the Ger.
| mans!
Arriving in the village, that dozen
of soldiers forming the rear guard, or,
was what was left of the rear guard
of the army of La Loire; they stopped.
The captain who had commanded
them had chosen a good position be-
tween two big houses.
Hurry up, boys" said he to his
men; 1--WE will erect barricade here.
| It shall not be said that those sauer.
kraut eaters have entered this village
as in church. Burst open the doors,
| if it is necessary, and once more hurry
up"
That captain had the tone firm, and
his face expressed anger and deter
minatiOn; his men, old African
zouaves and Turcos. enraged fighters,
| were not apprentices in the art of
building barricades. In less than a
quarter of an hour the street was made
impossible by cars of manure, mat
trasses. doors, shutters, in fact, every
thing bulky was employed for that
purpose.
The captain, who had picked up a
gun on the battlefield, was reloading
it when a tall man with pale face APP
preached him.
Excuse me, captain, are you the
officer in commando"
Yes"
believe me, sir, renounce to defend
this village against an enemy twenty
times, one hundred times more num-
erous than you are. You shall not be
successful, of course, and you will
cause our village to be set on fire by
the Germans.
The captain looked at his interlocu-
tor with an immense expression of
disgust.
''What do you sayp Will you go
away mighty quick, or else shall send
you to"
And the captain took the man by
the neck and was in way to strangle
him. when a tall old man with white
hair emerged from house near by.
Let him go, captain, he is not
worth the strangulation. My name
is Pierre and l am vine dresser"
said the old man addressing the
ohcer. Then, turning to the coward.
ne added: Go to your home, monsieur
the mayor; if you are unwilling to do
others to accomplish it. You see, cap
tain, that mayor is a monsieur from
the city, sent to US by the imperial
government; all his fortune is in
this village, in which he owns several
buildings. and if the Germans set
them on fire he shall be ruined. 1 am
myself in the same case; if my cabin is
destroyed do not know what will re-
main for my granddaughter Jacque-
line But what do you want, sir?
France, our country, before any.
thing"
The captain was touched, and
removing his cap he said to the patriot:
You are brave man and God bless
you"
''And an old soldier" replied the
vine dresser, Strengthening himself.
There is my Cross of the Legion of
Honor given to me by the emperor
himself, the great Napoleoni Now,
captain, If you have gun to lend me
l will show that know how to handle
it"
at this moment lively musketry was
heard from the other side Of the
barricade. The Germans were COM
ing.
The village was deserted by its in
habitants. women, children, cripples
and old people had departed, taking
with them everything they could
carry.
The able-bodied men were in the
army.
The battle begun; the bullets whis-
tied in the air and flattened themselves
against the wallis The French held
the place well and Papa Pierre, the
vine dresser, bareheaded, his hair to
the wind. fired his gun bravely, while
his granddaughter loaded the fireplace
after each discharge.
Suddenly, boInbshell burst at ten
yards from the barricade.
''Sacre N de ID" exclaimed the cap
tain, ''they lombard us now, in ten
minutes we will have to go if"
10 had mot time fr. a,oI
when q second projectile passing /
through the roof OF the shelter COW
cred him and his soldiers with dust;
happily no one was wounded, alone /
Jacqueline had uttered a cry. The
emotion was too much for the poor
girl-she tainted.
'sYou must retire, captain said
Papa Pierre to the officer; but will re-
main here. have some cartridges
eft; shall IRE them Off Cor
..NeyerT exclaimed the captain.
we shall die here"
81 tell you TO retire, you are re-
Iponsible before God and before the
country for the life of your men. To
'emain here is simply madness and
lot bravery. How can you defend this
Tiliage with guns against cannons,
With twelve men against five hun 4
lreda"
1T is better to die on French soil in
ighting than in German prison"
but you will not be taken: leave
that barrieade that You
annot hold any longer; turn on the
light when you reach the end of the
illage and take refuge in the forest.
.sAnd your"
s'Ii am too old to walk.
.'We shall carry you
No. thanks; in this village 1 was
orn; in this village 1 want to die: be-
ides that, Iconiide my JacqneIne 10
on. captain Have y0u any children,
ssEo1lY u